Rep. Polis on debt: tax pot, gambling

The federal government should legalize and tax marijuana and Internet gambling to help get the country out of the current debt crisis, writes Rep. Jared Polis, a second-term Colorado Democrat, on Wednesday’s Wall Street Journal op-ed page.

Changes to immigration laws and one year of amnesty for delinquent taxpayers could also raise revenues, he said.

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POLITICO 44

Though many Republicans have signed the anti-tax pledge put forward by Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform, that promise “does not preclude provisions that will increase revenue without actually increasing taxes on Americans,” Polis argues.

So, he says, Congress should look for ways to do just that. His ideas, and others like them, “are fully consistent with the Norquist pledge and produce substantial new revenue streams for the federal government. They should all be on the table, along with spending cuts, if we are to break free of the rhetorical shackles that prevent cutting the deficit.”

Where medical marijuana is legal — in 16 states and the District of Columbia — governments bring in millions of dollars annually in tax revenues and, based on a 2005 study by a Harvard University professor, the federal government could take in $2.4 billion a year if it legalized and taxed pot nationally.

Changing federal laws on Internet gambling could bring in a bit more money, Polis says, with one estimate suggesting that $42 billion in new revenues could be generated by legalizing and regulating Internet gambling — a measure that has some support from members of both parties.

Even more revenue could be generated if the federal government were to require more than 10 million illegal immigrants living in the United States to obtain legal status and to pay back taxes and fees. In all, such a measure could raise as much as $5.4 billion in new revenue, Polis says, though it would come only with the kind of immigration law that Congress has been unable to pass for years and is still stalled on.

Immigration reform also would bring in big annual revenues, Polis contends. A bipartisan bill considered by the Senate in 2007 would have brought in $12 billion annually by 2012 and $48 billion by 2017, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates.

And there are more ways to raise new revenues without increasing taxes in the strictest sense, Polis says, suggesting a one-year tax amnesty program for tax evaders to get right without facing penalties. One study by Arthur Laffer, an economic adviser to President Ronald Reagan, found that one year of amnesty could bring in $800 billion to $1 trillion in revenues over the course of a decade, the congressman says.

At last, a sane , sensible clear minded approach. There would be additional savings to the Government by leagalizing and taxing marijuana, all of the money spent on interdiction and criminal justice would not be necessary. Marijuana is no different or less dangerous than alcohol and tobacco, both of which are legal. Use of marijuana or other substances by individuals is a personal decision that the government should stay out of "THINK SMALL LESS INTRUSIVE GOVERNMENT" As for people wandering around society under the influence, there are ways this policed with alcohopl today and it could be expanded to include other drugs.

The former Governor of California once cited a study for the early 2000's where in legalization and taxation of marijuana alone would have a $3.0 + billion positive impact on the states economy and that is just one state.

The time is now for a sane policy on marijuana. Also, States should begin to collect taxes on all internet transactions period. This is not done today and states are losing billions in tax revenue as on line shopping grows in our economy.

Chalons, the only ones making a buck off the current system is organized crime and the prison lobby. As a taxpayer I'd rather be on the income side of this equation and leave the social engineering out of the hands of the government.

Say what you want about "organized crime," but you're ignorant if you think the "War on Drugs" has done anything except make the problem worse. This can actually help fix the drug and gang problem in the U.S. Take away what the gangs use to make money and use it to recover from this crisis. After all, here in Washington State marijuana is a top 10 cash crop and it's not even legal.

Nobody has ever died from smoking marijuana. If anything, they've become more peaceful. On the opposite, thousands die every year from drinking alcohol or somebody else drinking alcohol, not to mention abuse, rape, and overall stupid behavior. The worst I've seen with marijuana (not a smoker) is an incredible case of the munchies.

All of CO knows Jared Polis is a useless windbag who bought his seat in Congress. He has no ideas that actually help the overall good of the country and since he is in a safe seat and no one else has the kind of money he is; the 2nd CD is stuck with him.

Immigration reform may bring in some money but its going to cost the country trillions in the end when you count in chain migration and the fact we are bringing in people (or keeping people here illegally) with little or no education. That makes no sense but Polis is still going to advocate it since he is a Boulder liberal!!! (12 billion a year when they cost 113 billion; do the math Polis!!! per FAIR)

If it didnt hurt Ralphies foot; we would have her kick some sense into him but even that may not work.

All of CO knows Jared Polis is a useless windbag who bought his seat in Congress. He has no ideas that actually help the overall good of the country and since he is in a safe seat and no one else has the kind of money he is; the 2nd CD is stuck with him.

Immigration reform may bring in some money but its going to cost the country trillions in the end when you count in chain migration and the fact we are bringing in people (or keeping people here illegally) with little or no education. That makes no sense but Polis is still going to advocate it since he is a Boulder liberal!!! (12 billion a year when they cost 113 billion; do the math Polis!!! per FAIR)

If it didnt hurt Ralphies foot; we would have her kick some sense into him but even that may not work.

All of CO knows Jared Polis is a useless windbag who bought his seat in Congress. He has no ideas that actually help the overall good of the country and since he is in a safe seat and no one else has the kind of money he is; the 2nd CD is stuck with him.

Immigration reform may bring in some money but its going to cost the country trillions in the end when you count in chain migration and the fact we are bringing in people (or keeping people here illegally) with little or no education. That makes no sense but Polis is still going to advocate it since he is a Boulder liberal!!! (12 billion a year when they cost 113 billion; do the math Polis!!! per FAIR)

If it didnt hurt Ralphies foot; we would have her kick some sense into him but even that may not work.

We're bringing in people who are going to do jobs that pay so little almost no American is willing to take the job. Immigration into the United States is not illegal. If the government wanted to build a wall, they very well could, but it would cripple our agricultural system, meaning less food on your table because of the rise in prices of vegetables. It's a two-faced law, they say publicly "don't come into our country!" then when they turn their shoulders they say, "hey, if you can make it through the desert you're welcome to come over."

Just addressing the marijuana issue alone: legalization provides increased private and state revenues, and reduced criminal justice costs on the failed Nixon-era to present "war on drugs," (actually directed againist the anti-Nixon '60s youth) that made marijuana a class-one drug along with the addictive and deadly opiates and cocaine and cost both state and federal government hundreds of billions in wasted law enforcement funds without any improvement in drug abuse.

Last year, over 880,000 Americans were arrested for marijuana possession alone, the cost to taxpayers for arrest, prosecution and detention is huge. Over half of the 2.3 million inmates in America (more than any other country) have drug-related offenses; over one-third have mental issues as funding for community-based or state mental facilities have diminished or disappeared.

Meanwhile, America's number one drug problem, alcohol, remains, thanks to the big profits of the alcohol industry. Appealing to profit motivation for the GOP (Greed On Parade) crowd has a better chance than simple reason which has never worked before in their also failed "War On Crime." Indeed, also the so-called Bush-Cheney "war on terrorism," has been a failure since it was based on lies and oil greed, and it multiplied America's Islamic enemies a thousand-fold thanks to the heavy-handed, prejudiced, unilaterialism of Bush-Cheney and their kidnapping; torture (as a policy); secret and non-secret prisons globally; farmed-out torture to other countries; end-run around the Constitution with Gitmo (where inmates cost America $500,000 each per year) and Abu Graeb; and, in America, domestic spying and wiretapping.

Anybody noticing a consistent pattern of GOP failure over 40 years addressed at the working class, poor, and minorities and spreading misery and death both here in America and globally?

Amen, Hallaquila, but I'm afraid Freethehens is right.. I recall the 2008 election in California when legalizing marijuana was on the ballot. There seemed to be a lot of support...until the prison guards union started dumping a ton of money into the anti-legalization push. In our greedy-dog world, whoever has the most money wins. Look who we Floridians got for a governor - Rick Scott - who used millions of his own money to outspend his Dem. challenger. I've been a lifelong Dem. but I now have problems with them, too. Does anyone speak for the common people? I really likeed Anthony Weiner, seemed like a real fighter, and look what that idiot did. WTF???? Jeez, we need some serious help.

Nobody has ever died from smoking marijuana. If anything, they've become more peaceful. On the opposite, thousands die every year from drinking alcohol or somebody else drinking alcohol, not to mention abuse, rape, and overall stupid behavior. The worst I've seen with marijuana (not a smoker) is an incredible case of the munchies.

Here is an idea to save 90 million a year, Cut all 535 members of The House and Senates pay to MINIMUM wage. LEAD by example and take pay cuts there first. Oh ya you guys can afford it since OVER 45% are already MILLIONARES. ANd to reduce the DEBT, which btw was created by the POOR Spending Habits of the HOUSE AND SENATE. 75% of all political campaign contributions should be taxible and go directly to paying off the debt. So you raise a dollar in political donations, you get to spend 25 cent, the other 75 cents goes to paying off the debt.

Here is an idea to save 90 million a year, Cut all 535 members of The House and Senates pay to MINIMUM wage. LEAD by example and take pay cuts there first. Oh ya you guys can afford it since OVER 45% are already MILLIONARES. ANd to reduce the DEBT, which btw was created by the POOR Spending Habits of the HOUSE AND SENATE. 75% of all political campaign contributions should be taxible and go directly to paying off the debt. So you raise a dollar in political donations, you get to spend 25 cent, the other 75 cents goes to paying off the debt.

I agree with him on legalization of marijuana, not that I smoke, but it would help the economy, it would also slow down the drug dealers and some of these border wars might start to diminish. The taxes would be terrible and maybe some people would even stop smoking because they could not afford it. It is working with cigarettes. The internet gambling is another good idea. People are going to gamble, and this is a way to do it from the comfort of your own home/apt and not have to spend an arm and leg to get to a casino. The government could charge a licensing fee to the company running the internet casino and also a fee to the user, plus track taxes and the IRS would collect their winnings. I am sure that the casinos in Vegas and elsewhere would jump on this bandwagon. They may lose some money with people not going to the hotels, but how much have they lost before the Feds shut down the online sites recently. This way they have the best of both worlds. I think this man is thinking outside the box and I agree with this, but not the illegal issue. If you do something illegal whether it is administratively illegal or criminally illegal (what the difference is I don't know) illegal is illegal. The should not be given a free pass. If they want to be legal they should have to do time in either jail or military to get their legal status, plus pay a stiff fine. It depends on how badly they want to become legal. Children of illegals who have been here most of their life though should be given a pass, their parents were responsible not them. Think outside the box and we may get this country back on it's feet.